Sweet little thing 3

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to CBS and the people who created NCIS.

A/N: Some piece might be out of character for Gibbs and of character for Tony, but this is for the purpose of the story and I always thought he acted differently when it came to dogs and kids.

The puppy really does exist, just so you know.

Thanks to finlaure for her beta work.

Thanks to Mark Harmon, Pauley Perrette, Michael Weatherly, Cote de Pablo, Sean Murray, David McCallum and all the others for giving life to the wonderful characters of NCIS. Thanks, Laci, as always.

THANKS FOR THE REVIEWS EVERYONE! Thanks also for following and all.

Three

A smile on her face

Gibbs's house

Abby had just stopped the engine of her car, and the front door of Gibbs's house opened almost instantly on a smiling Tony.

"Tonnnnyyyyyyyy" Aubrey called, excited.

As she looked at the girl sitting next to her, Abby though that she seemed to open up the moment she knew she would be out of the hospital for a couple of hours.

Maybe the hospital was simply the problem. Maybe she had the feeling she was locked up or something. The simplest way to figure it out was to ask the question so that is what I'm gonna do.

"Aubrey would you looked at me a second, please?"

The girl looked at her.

"What is it, Abby?"

"I'm gonna ask you a question, and I want you to answer me honestly, okay?"

"Is it because you have to stay in the children hospital that you don't fight back?"

Aubrey's face saddened instantly a looked down at her lap. Abby slapped herself mentally for what she was doing, but she had to know. A long silence followed, the long brown haired girl didn't do a thing except looking at her hands that were posed on her lap, for a brief moment, Abby thought that she wouldn't say anything, but then she heard a small broken voice telling her...

"I hate the hospital, I just hate it! I knew the doctor and nurses are there to help me, but that doesn't change anything. I mean, the other kids have their parents' to come visit them, their grandparents' and sometimes friends, and I have my grandparents' and you that's all, Abby. My grandpa and grandma try to do their best, I love them for that, they try to be cheerful but their eyes are full of sadness. Eyes don't lie you know, I'm sick, but not blind. I feel that when they look at me, they see mom, somehow it hurts so much, that all I want to do is go to mom and dad, so I won't have to see the chagrin in their eyes again."

"How sweetie..." Abby said softly, shifting in her seat so she could put her arms around the child.

"The hospital always reminds me of the fact that I'm sick, no matter how much they try do their best to make me forget about it. It's impossible because the sickness is in me and acting as if it isn't there won't make it magically disappear, Abbs. It just won't. Sometimes, I just wish I died with mom and dad."

"You are right."

"You, Tony and Gibbs see me when you look at me, not that I'm sick. If only grandpa and grandma could see me instead of mom." Aubrey sighed in a broken voice.

Abby didn't say a word, she just tightened her embrace.

Poor thing, if only I had realized it before I could have taken you out of there sooner and maybe you'd feel a lot better all ready, I'm so sorry, sweetheart I'm gonna do whatever I can to get you out of that hospital more often. Abby couldn't help but think to herself.

A soft knock on window car door brought them both back to reality. Abby opened the door.

"Well, I'm waiting to hold my princess in my arms." Tony told them with a big smile on his face.

At the words a smile found its way to Aubrey's lips.

Abby smiled too and added, "And what about your surprise, you wanted to see it don't you?"

"Yeah."

"Let's go inside then, and see what it is."

The forensic scientist unlocked her seatbelt before carefully unlocking Aubrey's. "I'll be right there, just gonna help Tony get the chair out of the car."

They took the chair out of the trunk and Gibbs's favorite wanted to help the girl out of the car, but DiNozzo stopped Abby, asking her to bring the wheelchair inside while he would help Aubrey out of the car and carry her in.

Abby smiled at Tony and did as she was told, but she couldn't help herself, she just stood at the door of Gibbs's house and observed Tony as he was carefully helping Aubrey out of the car. She seemed to feel safe with him for some reason.

If Ziva and Tim could see him now, maybe they'd stop saying stupid things about him. He's so cute, and he definitely would make a great dad.

A moment later, Abby was inside Gibbs's place and told the people to come and watch through the widow.

"Who would have thought that?" Aubrey's grandpa said.

"She seems very fond of him." The girl's grandmother observed.

"She is. He makes her feel safe somehow."

000

"Tony?"

"Yes, pumpkin?"

"Do you think that one day, I could go swim with dolphins?"

Tony was a bit taken aback by the question, because it was the first time since he'd known Aubrey that she was talking about something she wanted to do in the future. She never talked about it as if she didn't think she had one and now...

Abby would be ecstatic if she knew that.

"Sure why wouldn't you?"

"But I'm sick."

"Honey, you can do anything you want, all you have to do for that is believe in it. The road is still long and full of obstacles but you're not alone. I'm there, so are your grandparents' and Abby and Gibbs and your parents.'"

"They're dead, Tony."

"Physically maybe, but they're with you in your heart." He told her gently and briefly wondered where he got the words from.

Tony place a kiss on her forehead and as a response she laid her head against his shoulder.

"I promise you, princess everything's is gonna turn out for the best. And one day, I'll go with you and we will swim with dolphins." Tony said in a soft, but firm voice as he was sincerely convinced that he would do exactly that with her, someday soon he hoped.

His hold on her tightened a little.

"I promise," he murmured.

"My surprise, I want to see my surprise."

Aubrey's eyes suddenly caught something brown running toward them, she looked down and she realized instantly what it was.

"I think your surprise couldn't wait any longer to meet you." Tony said to her and carefully crouched down, helping her to sit on his knees.

"You mean, he is mine?"

"Yes, sweetheart, he's yours."

"Hey you... what's your name?" She asked in a tender voice, reaching out her hand to the small bundle of chocolate brown fur.

The puppy immediately licked her fingers and hand, making her giggle. Through her giggling she said, "You must think my fingers are like Chocolat". She purposefully used the French word.

"That's his name." DiNozzo told her.

A few moments later, Abby, Gibbs and her grandparents' joined them outside.

"I love you, guys," Aubrey simply told them, with a radiant smile on her face that showed in her eyes as well.

Looking at Abby she thanked her.

"You're welcome."

Abby looked at Gibbs then and smiled at him. Observing them, a glint of mischief passed in her eyes, and Aubrey turned her attention back on Tony, leaning in closer to his ear so she could whisper something in it.

"Abby and Gibbs sitting in a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G."

Tony chuckled, and whispered back. "I think you are right."

"Tony could you set me back in the chair so I can hold, Chocolat."

"Sure, honey."

Helping her into her wheelchair, he made sure that she was set comfortably before picking up the small bundle and gently placing it onto her lap.

Chocolat licked her nose, which made her and everybody else laugh.

Aubrey's grandparents had unshed tears shining in their eyes. They were happy and for the first time in so long, they let hope find its place back into their hearts.

TBC...